'No one likes the guy who's shouting 'iceberg'': Ex-Cabinet minister Simon Clarke warns Tories are set for 'shattering defeat' under Rishi Sunak after he calls for new PM

Ex-Cabinet minister Sir Simon Clarke tonight shrugged off a backlash from Tory MPs following his call for Rishi Sunak to be replaced as Prime Minister. Ex-Cabinet minister Sir Simon Clarke shrugged off a backlash from Tory MPs following his call for Rishi Sunak to be replaced as Prime Minister Sir Simon claimed that 'no one likes they guy who's shouting "iceberg", as he warned the Tories are set for a 'shattering defeat' if they don't act before the general election Senior Conservatives have condemned the call for yet another Tory leadership contest to replace Mr Sunak as 'facile', 'silly' and 'self-indulgent' Sir Simon this evening admitted he had received some 'pretty hostile comments from a number of people' in the hours since his newspaper article was published. Mr Sunak was cheered to the rafters by his troops in the Commons as he engaged in brutal clashes with Sir Keir Starmer Sir Keir seized on the bombshell intervention by Simon Clarke, previously Levelling Up Secretary under Liz Truss Mr Sunak faces a fresh challenge to his authority after a senior Tory and former minister spoke out against him Tory MPs cheered Mr Sunak to the rafters as he faced off against Sir Keir at PMQs today Simon Clarke, previously Levelling Up Secretary under Liz Truss and Mr Sunak's deputy at the Treasury, warned that the Tories are heading for a 'massacre' at the election Sir Simon faced a big backlash from Tories, including this message from Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker - who organised many rebellions in the past Sir Keir kicked off PMQs hostilities in the Commons by saying: 'The Prime Minister has had quite a week. Sir Simon was among 11 Conservative MPs who voted against the Prime Minister's Rwanda Bill at its third reading earlier this month, despite Mr Sunak seeing off a wider Tory rebellion.